Thespakusatsu Gunma
ザスパクサツ群馬
Nickname(s)Thespa (ザスパ, Zasupa)
Founded1995; 28 years ago (1995)
StadiumShoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma
Maebashi, Gunma
Capacity15,253 people
OwnerKusatsu Onsen Football Club
ChairmanTomohiko Nara
ManagerTsuyoshi Otsuki
LeagueJ2 League
2023J2 League, 11th of 22
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Thespakusatsu Gunma (ザスパクサツ群馬, Zasupakusatsu Gunma) is a professional football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club currently plays in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football. From 2024, The club change name to Thespa Gunma (ザスパ群馬, Zasupa Gunma).

History

The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, one of the most well-known spa resorts in Japan, as Liaison Kusatsu Football Club.[1] The players were students of the specialized training college Higashi Nihon Soccer Academy. When the school closed in 1999 due to financial difficulties, the players decided to stay in Kusatsu and keep the club alive. In 2002, the club was incorporated as K.K. Kusatsu Onsen Football Club with a future promotion to the J. League in mind and adopted the new team name Thespa Kusatsu (ザスパ草津, zasupa kusatsu), meaning "The Spa, Kusatsu".[1]

Because of J. League restrictions on stadiums, they play at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma (Shikishima Athletics Stadium) in nearby Maebashi, the prefectural capital since the club was promoted to J. League Division 2 in the 2005 season.[2]

From 1 February 2013, the club adopted the new name "Thespakusatsu Gunma", to give the impression of the club as a representative of the entire Gunma Prefecture, while still leaving the name "Kusatsu" in it, as well as the logo of the club as it is.[3][4]

After 12 years spent in the J2 League, Thespakusatsu Gunma was relegated to the J3 League for the first time in their history, having finished as the last-placed team in the 2017 J2 League. Gunma returned to the J2 League ahead of the 2020 season, being promoted back to J2 after two years spent in J3.

Record as J. League member

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
Season Div. Teams Pos. P W D L F A GD Pts Attendance/G Emperor's
Cup
As Thespa Kusatsu
2005 J2 12 12th 44 5 8 31 26 82 -56 23 3,959 4th round
2006 13 12th 48 9 15 24 54 86 -32 42 3,736 4th round
2007 13 11th 48 7 21 20 42 71 -29 42 3,808 4th round
2008 15 9th 42 13 14 15 45 52 -7 53 4,215 3rd round
2009 18 10th 51 18 11 22 64 76 -12 65 4,330 3rd round
2010 19 12th 36 14 6 16 36 48 -12 48 4,424 2nd round
2011 20 9th 38 16 9 13 51 51 0 57 3,211 2nd round
2012 22 17th 42 12 11 19 31 15 -14 47 3,341 2nd round
As Thespakusatsu Gunma
2013 J2 22 20th 42 9 13 20 43 61 -18 40 3,571 2nd round
2014 22 18th 42 14 7 21 45 54 -9 49 3,689 4th round
2015 22 18th 42 13 9 20 34 56 -22 48 4,099 1st round
2016 22 17th 42 11 12 19 52 66 -14 45 4,744 2nd round
2017 22 22nd 42 5 5 32 32 32 88 -56 3,832 3rd round
2018 J3 17 5th 32 15 7 10 37 35 2 52 3,346 2nd round
2019 18 2nd 34 18 9 7 59 34 25 63 3,594 2nd round
2020 † J2 22 20th 42 15 4 23 40 62 -22 49 1,709 Did not qualify
2021 † 22 18th 42 9 14 19 35 56 -21 41 2,082 4th round
2022 22 20th 42 11 9 22 36 57 -21 42 3,076 Round of 16
2023 22 11th 42 14 15 13 44 44 0 57 4,116 2nd round
As Thespa Gunma
2024 J2 20 TBA 38 TBC
Key

Current squad

As of 16 August 2023.[5] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Japan JPN Keiki Shimizu
2 DF Japan JPN Hayate Shirowa
3 DF Japan JPN Hiroto Hatao
4 MF Japan JPN Yuki Kawakami
5 MF Japan JPN Chie Edoojon Kawakami
6 MF Japan JPN Tatsuya Uchida
7 FW Japan JPN Riyo Kawamoto
8 MF Japan JPN Yuzo Iwakami
9 FW Japan JPN Shuto Kitagawa
10 MF Japan JPN Ryo Sato
13 FW Japan JPN Hayate Take (on loan from Blaublitz Akita)
14 MF Japan JPN Tomoyuki Shiraishi
15 MF Japan JPN Koki Kazama
17 MF Japan JPN Atsuki Yamanaka
18 FW Japan JPN Luna Iwamoto
19 DF Japan JPN Kazuma Okamoto
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF Japan JPN Yudai Nakata
21 GK Japan JPN Masatoshi Kushibiki
22 DF Japan JPN Yuriya Takahashi
23 FW Japan JPN Shu Hiramatsu
24 DF Japan JPN Shuichi Sakai
27 MF Japan JPN Koji Okumura
29 DF Japan JPN Ryota Tagashira DSP
30 FW Japan JPN Toranosuke Onoseki
33 DF Japan JPN Hajime Hosogai
35 FW Japan JPN Taishi Tamashiro DSP
36 DF Japan JPN Daiki Nakashio
38 MF Japan JPN Taiki Amagasa
39 FW Japan JPN Akito Takagi
42 GK Japan JPN Ryo Ishii
44 GK Japan JPN Koji Yamada
47 MF Japan JPN Ryuji Sugimoto (on loan from Tokyo Verdy)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
41 MF Japan JPN Yu Tabei (on loan at Reilac Shiga)
— MF Japan JPN Shumpei Fukahori (on loan at Ehime FC)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Japan JPN Kazune Kubota (on loan at FC Gifu)
— MF Japan JPN Keita Toyama (on loan at Tiamo Hirakata)

Coaching staff

For the 2023 season.[6]

Position Name
Manager Japan Tsuyoshi Otsuki
Assistant manager Japan Akira Muto
First-team coach Japan Kentaro Yoshida
Japan Shunsuke Nakano
Goalkeeper coach Japan Hidetoyo Watanabe
Trainer Japan Ryo Murakami
Japan Yutaka Yamamoto
Physical coach Japan Yutaka Aoki
Conditioning coach Japan Koki Katakai
General manager Japan Kosuke Hara
Japan Riku Takahashi
Japan Ryota Osawa

Managerial history

Manager Nationality Tenure
Start Finish
Ratko Stevović  Montenegro 1995 1997
Naoki Kimura  Japan 1998 1999
Ratko Stevović  Montenegro 2000 2001
Ryōsuke Okuno  Japan 1 February 2002 31 January 2004
Satoshi Tezuka  Japan 1 January 2005 31 December 2005
Shigeharu Ueki  Japan 1 February 2006 31 January 2009
Tōru Sano  Japan 1 February 2009 31 January 2010
Hiroshi Soejima  Japan 1 February 2010 31 January 2013
Tadahiro Akiba  Japan 1 February 2013 31 January 2015
Hiroki Hattori  Japan 1 January 2015 31 December 2016
Hitoshi Morishita  Japan 1 February 2017 31 January 2018
Keiichirō Nuno  Japan 1 February 2018 31 January 2020
Ryōsuke Okuno  Japan 1 February 2020 4 July 2021
Kiyokazu Kudō  Japan 5 July 2021 31 January 2022
Tsuyoshi Otsuki  Japan 1 February 2022 present

Kit evolution

Home kits - 1st
2003 - 2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 -
Away kits - 2nd
2003 - 2004
2005
2006 - 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023 -

References

  1. ^ a b "Club guide; Thespa Kusatsu". J. League. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  2. ^ "Two JFL clubs apply for J. League entry". Japan Times. September 30, 2004. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  3. ^ Ken Matsushita (February 12, 2014). "Classifying the J2 teams from top to bottom". ONE World Sports. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  4. ^ チーム名・ロゴ・マスコット [Team name, Emblem, Mascot] (in Japanese). Thespakusatsu Gunma. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  5. ^ "2023 Season Member". Thespakusatsu Gunma. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  6. ^ "2023トップチームスタッフ新体制決定のお知らせ". thespa.co.jp (in Japanese). Thespakusatsu Gunma. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

External links

Thespakusatsu Gunma
Thespakusatsu Gunma – managers
J.League
Japanese club football
Categories